NEED FOR SPEED UNDERGROUND ARTICLES

December 23, 2003 - Racing games have definitely changed from the days when we were some snot-nosed, pamper-clad kids playing Pole Position--and this was just last week. Joking aside, however, racing games have changed for the better and 2003 was one of the best racing years we've seen in recent memory. If ever there was a time to pick up a wheel and give the world of virtual racing a go, now would be the time.

November 20, 2003 - Need for Speed gets a whole new face and a massive visual upgrade with Underground. It's quick, beautiful, and brings car customization to a whole new level. And it's arrived just in time for the 2003 holiday season. The question is, does it deserve your hard-earned cash? There are a lot of great games out there to choose from.
To help you find your way, IGN Insider Editor-in-Chief, Fran Mirabella III, is here to give you the final call with this video review. He discusses the changes the series has made since Hot Pursuit 2, the beautiful visuals, and what makes it a racer worth your attention.
Buckle up, sit back, and get downloading.

November 19, 2003 - One of the year's best racers is Electronic Arts' Need for Speed Underground. Heavy with customizable vehicle options and beautiful presentation, it's one of the hottest titles you can pick up this holiday season. Plus, if you've been a fan of the Need for Speed franchise this is a whole new direction that, despite its lack of police chases and exotic cars, still delivers seriously intense racing over slick, nighttime city tracks.
It's available for GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC, and it was developed by Black Box, the creators behind Hot Pursuit 2. The company has brought four distinctly different looking titles with different options to the marketplace.
Our job now is to sort it all out for you and guide you on your way to owning, or at least renting, the best version for you.

November 17, 2003 - Electronic Arts today announced that Need for Speed Underground has shipped to retail nationwide. The latest installment in EA's racing franchise, Need for Speed Underground is now available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and PC.

November 17, 2003 - Get ready to get fast and furious as Electronic Art's Need For Speed Underground has shipped to retail.
The streets are cold but the cars are hot in this foray into the world of sports compact racing. With twenty fully customizable cars from Mitsubishi's to Mazda's, race for the fame and the money, as you build your car from it's humble four cylinder beginnings to a lean street machine. A variety of racing modes, from drag racing to steer racing, will test your driving skills as you maneuver around the all-night courses.

November 14, 2003 - Only a year gone and Electronic Arts is already burning rubber with another Need for Speed title. Last year the publisher released Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, a fantastic racer on the PlayStation 2, but one not quite as polished on other platforms. Since developer Black Box was responsible for the slick PS2 iteration, EA recruited them to develop the next in the franchise.
Aptly titled Need for Speed Underground, it focuses on the custom kit and import car circuit. It is most commonly, and certainly not unfairly, compared to the theme featured in the popular The Fast and the Furious movies. So, it is a definite departure from the world of exotic cars and over-the-top police chases that the series was founded on. It broadens the NFS franchise, bringing a number of things to the starting line that other arcade racers have not. More than anything, it features a robust customization mode that is intricately sewn into a lengthy franchise-style single-player experience.
It's a world of gorgeous girls, rocket-fast racing, stunning graphics, and some of the most impressive vehicle customization ever created. Yes, we'd be crazy not to like it -- and so would you.

November 12, 2003 - EA's Need for Speed Underground is only days away from shipping and we couldn't be more thrilled. The game's amazing production values puts it in a class by itself, and it also features some of the best customization we've seen in a game - ever. But better yet, Underground is home to some real hotties, virtual they may be.

November 7, 2003 - In this edition of our Inside look at Need for Speed Underground we take a peek at EA's implemented online functionality for the PlayStation 2 and PC. Offering up several modes of play and the option to join the extensive NFSU leaderboard community, the online mode is definitely something to be interested. Underground will also be the first U.S.-released title to offer cross-platform online play from the PS2 to the PC.
Want to know more? Well you've come to the right place, as we'll be detailing our experience with online here; we even have some screenshots and movies to go with it.

November 7, 2003 - EA today announced that Need for Speed Underground has gone gold. The game will begin to ship in North America on November 17 under the EA GAMES brand for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Xbox video game system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube and PC.

October 31, 2003 - Inside Need for Speed Underground Vol. 2
For years gamers have clamored for a racer that delivers more than just a variety of tracks and car types. One of the pleasures of owning a sweet ride is personalizing it, giving it the paint you want, buying a new pair of rims, or upgrading and tuning the engine; with Need for Speed Underground EA has focused on this element.Its "Underground" mode is the centerpiece of the experience, and it constitutes nearly all of the single-player experience. Without it, your have access to very little.
For our second installment of Inside Need for Speed Underground, we're going to take you inside the Story mode, explaining how it progresses along, but also showing you how it evolves.
If you're thinking of playing NFSU this season, this would be one of the most important articles you could read, as it shows you what you'll be spending nearly all of your time with.

October 24, 2003 - Part of the appeal and our love for Need For Speed Underground has to do with the excellent audio. Forget the thumping soundtrack, we're talking about the over-the-top, hyper-real sound effects. Whether you're behind the wheel of the sequentially turbocharged RX-7 or sliding around the city with the monster Supra the game gives one the sensation that these are the real things.

October 13, 2003 - While at a recent EA event for Need for Speed Underground, we had a chance to talk with Alex Pfeiffer, one of the countries leading drift racers. Drift racing, for those who are not in-the-know, is not so much racing as it is stylin' and profilin'. While drivers are still navigating a course, lap times aren't the focus. Rather, it's the style in how you traverse the track, with the emphasis on going as fast as possible while going as sideways as possible. If you've ever played an arcade racing game, you probably know what we're talking about as that's how almost everyone takes corners on those things.
Anywho, we had a chance to talk with Alex about the world of drift racing, it's inclusion in Need for Speed: Underground, and more. Check it out.

October 13, 2003 - EA invited us to a real life drifting event, then we returned to the office with a near-final copy of Need for Speed Underground. Naturally we had our cameras at the said event, letting us compare and contrast professional drifting with the mode that EA has crafted for the gameplay.
Hop in as we take you through this addicting mode; screenshots, movies, and a video preview included.

October 13, 2003 - We've been following the status of NSFU the way Fran chases school girls. Suffice to say EA's latest racing extravaganza is something that we're extremely interested in playing through its entirety.

September 25, 2003 - There are a few things required to create an exhilarating racing game, namely a good sense of speed, nice crashes and sweet cars. Need for Speed Underground looks to have all of the above and more. To say that the game looks as beautiful as it does fun would be somewhat of an understatement. Check out these movies to see what we mean.
Warning: Those who sometimes get carsick may projectile vomit after seeing the blurringly quick drag races herein.

September 18, 2003 - Yesterday IGN Insider ran high-res versions of videos taken from our Modification article series. However, unsatisfied with the video quality, we have hand-selected brand new movies and compressed them with even more clarity. Yes, we've said this game is beautiful and we mean it.
With the custom settings in place, we think you'll enjoy these all-new, totally intense Need for Speed Underground movies. Believe it or not, they are taken from the PlayStation 2 version, which as you will see looks absolutely fantastic. Click below and see the visually crisp title in action.